Travis Michael Holder – TicketHoldersLA
Cowabunga, my humor-starved overheated moondoggies, understand this one fact of nature: no one spoofs those ridiculously cheesy early-60s surfer flicks quite as perfectly as Charles Busch—and this smart and colorful remounting of his 1987 off-Broadway hit “Psycho Beach Party” could not possibly be more swellsville, bros. Read more…
Katie Buenneke – Stage Raw
Psycho Beach Party is an over-the-top, madcap, campy romp, and great fun for gay people, and those who love them. Read more…
Terry Morgan – ArtsBeatLA
It may be less well known now, but back in the 1960s, the character of surfer girl Gidget was popular and influential, the subject of novels, films and TV series starring the likes of Sandra Dee and Sally Field. The dubiousness wholesomeness of the surf genre was ripe for subverting, and in 1987, playwright Charles Busch did just that with Psycho Beach Party (its original title was Gidget Goes Psychotic but was changed due to litigation concerns). He added elements of drag, mental illness, overt sexuality and amped up the camp to create a hilarious satire. The current production by the HorseChart Theatre Company, playing at the Matrix Theatre on Melrose in West Hollywood, is a very enjoyable rendition of Busch’s play. Read more…